A driver has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after ignoring a warning about a dangerous intersection and causing a crash that killed five people in Victoria.
In April 2023, Christopher Joannidis, 31, was warned by two police officers about the hazardous roads in Strathmerton, where nine people had already died in the past 18 months.
Despite the warning, Joannidis proceeded to cross three rumble strips and ignore give-way signs, driving his Mercedes Benz into a Nissan Navara ute, which was then struck by a truck.
The crash resulted in the deaths of 62-year-old Deborah Markey, her dog Sophie, and four farm workers from Taiwan and Hong Kong: Zhi-Yao Chen, Pin-Yu Wang, Wai Yan Lam and Hsin-Yu Chen.
Joannidis, who pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving causing death, had his bail revoked in November 2024.
His defence argued he should not be jailed due to psychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, prosecutor Daniel Porceddu said Joannidis could manage his condition with medication, which he had refused to take.
Judge Gavan Meredith described the crash as “horrific” and imposed a maximum five-and-a-half-year sentence, taking into account Joannidis’ remorse and rehabilitation prospects.
Joannidis will be eligible for parole after serving at least three years.
Source: 9 News.
